Abstract
Two hundred and fifty four consecutive patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent
surgery were preoperatively evaluated with endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). The results
were compared with the postoperative histo-pathological staging. EUS was correct in
determining the T and N stage in 83 % and 66 %, respectively. Although EUS was accurate
in determining the absence of lymph node metastases (accuracy in stage NO:93 %), it
was not reliable in determining stages N1 and N2 (64 % and 52 %, respectively). Since
88 % of all T3 and T4 tumors had lymph node metastases, the concomitant T stage may
be an important criterion for assessing the nature of endosonographically visualized
lymph nodes. The actual R0-resection rate (78 %) was almost identical to the rate
predicted preoperatively by EUS (81 %). We therefore consider EUS a valuable pretherapeutic
procedure in patients with gastric carcinoma.
